Improvement in speaking-tube annunciators



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Speaking-Tube Annunciatdrs.

No. 139,818, Patentedlune10,l873.

min/Essa I ijdvlm f AM. PHOTUi/T/{OERAPH/L an M. K (osaomis's mncsm)UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID ROUSSEAU, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN SPEAKING-TUBE ANNUNCIATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 139,818, dated June 10,1873; application filed October 8, 1872.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID ROUSSEAU, of the city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented an Improvement in Speaking-Tube Annunciators, ofwhich the following is a specification The object of this invention isto provide a mechanical means .for operating the bell or call by blowinginto the-speaking-tube, and for simultaneously indicating to theservant, or other person intended to be spoken to, from what room orplace he or she is called. The invention generally consists in acombination, with a movable tag or indicating-disk at or near theterminus of the tube, which is next the person to be called, of asetting device or mechanism for replacing the tag after it has beenexposed, and a spring or other power storing device operated by thetag-setting device when replacing the tag, and serving to actuate thecall. The invention also consists in a peculiar arrangement and foldingconstruction of the tag, whereby, when replaced, it is folded up withinthe delivery-end of the speaking-tube--that is, back of the terminusnext to the person to be calledand so that when displaced by the breathof the person speaking through the tube said tag is not only dropped,but projected forward into view.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l is a frontview of my improvedspeaking-tube annunciator, and Fig. 2 a vertical sectional view at rightangles to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional side view of the indicating-endof the tube, illustrating the action of the tag.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspondin g parts.

In the accompanying drawing, A A are speaking-tubes leading from oneroom or portion of a building to another. B B are mouthpieces at theopposite ends of each tube. Near the terminus of each tube, to which isafiixed the mouth-piece B, behind the latter and within an enlargedportion of the tube having an open bottom, I), is a folding ordouble-jointed tag, made up of leaves 0 d, the one, '0, of which ishinged below to the tube at c, and serves, when raised, to exclude noiseor odor frompassing by the month B or opening 1) through the tube, whilethe other leaf, d, is pivoted to'the freeend of the leaf 0,

and hangs suspended in a folded condition against or in front of theleaf 0, when the latter is raised to close the tube. The leaf d ismarked with a number or sign upon its outer face indicative of the roomor place with which the mouth B of the tube communicates, and always hasits indicatingsurface on the outside-that is, both when folded or closedwithin the tube and when dropped. This indicating-tag 0 cl is retainedin a closed and folded condition within the tube by a weight or weightedlever, f, fast to the fulcrum e, and arranged so that it stands a littlein rear of its center of gravity when the tag is closed, but readilyfalls forward when the speaker at the mouth B blows through the tube todisplace or unfold the tag, the leaf 0 of which then drops to close theopening I), while the leaf cl having the indicating number or sign onit, not only drops, but, as represented by dotted lines in Fig. 3, isprojected forward into view toward the mouth B, but below it, where maybe a glass -that is, immediately in front of the tag when thus exposed.

This construction of indicating-tag is an advantageous one, and might beapplied to electromagnetic speaking-tube annunciators; but I do notrestrict myself to such particular style of tag, as a single leaf orsimple drop one might be used, if preferred.

The setting device or mechanism for returning or closing the tag afterit has been exposed may be variously constructed, but the following Ihave found to answer every purpose: G is a hand-crank, which is retainedin an elevated position by a spring, g, and on the shaft h of which is alifter, a", that, as the crank is turned against the force of the springin direction of the arrow as, lifts upon an arm, k, of a rock'shaft, D,which, in turning, causes another arm, l, upon said shaft to lift theweighted lever f, and so return the tag to its place within the tube,the tag folding itself as it closes. E is a secondary upper rockshaft ofa swinging frame, composed in part of a horizontal rod, m, which is keptraised by a spring, a, arranged round the shaft. Attached to the rod mis a stirrup or bent rod, 0, which, as the weighted lever f is throwndown by displacing the tag, is struck and carried down by said lever,thereby bringing down the rod m. This causes a hand, g, on the rod m torelease an escapement, F, of a spring or other power-storin g device, G,which sounds the bell or call H to attract the notice of the servant orperson near the mouth or terminus B of the tube, simultaneously orthereabont with the exposure of the tag. 01" course, any kind of call orbell may be used, and instead of a spring power-storing device, G, oneoperating by a weight, or by the compression of air, or by other means,may be used. I call the device (2- a power-storer for the reason that itis automatically wound up, or its power replenished by the act ofsetting the tag, after exposure, back to its place. This is accomplishedas follows: K is a winding-lever arranged to ascend by the action of themain spring when the escapement F is released, and provided with a stud,1'. Loose upon the winding'shaft s of this lever is a secondary lever,L, which is connected with the shaft h of the crank O by an arm, 2, androd 10, so that on drawing down the crank to replace the tag the leverL, bearing on the stud r, depresses the lever K and winds up the power,which is then held by the escapement F till the falling of the weightedleverf, by blowing down the tube on the tag, releases it. After the taghas been replaced the crank O is permitted to fly up or back, and withit the lever L, to put the parts in position for a succeeding operation,the red at and stirrup 0 simultaneously flying up by the action of thespring 72, thereby relieving the hand (1 from action on the escapementF, which is then locked by a spring, 3 controlling it. The

rock-shaft D and red at are extended and provided with any desirednumber of arms, t, and stirrups 0, according to the number ofspeaking-tubes used; but the one crank O and power-storing device Ganswer for all the tubes, and the action of such devices will be limitedto only the particular tube ortubes in use at any one time, as will beevident from the foregoing description. Other connections may be madewith the shaft D and E for operation in connection with a differentarrangement of tubes or of their ends B.

By the term tag or drop-tag I design to include any indicating devicethat may be displaced by blowing through the tube, as, for instance, anumbered ball, or other movable expedient not strictly a tag in theordinary acceptation of the word.

What is here claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a drop-tag at or near the delivery-end of thespeaking-tube, of a tag-setting device or mechanism for replacing thetag after it has been exposed, and a power-storing device operated bythe tagsetting mechanism, and serving to actuate the call, substantiallyas specified.

2. The combination of the crank (J, the spring 9, the litter 2', theshaft D, the arms I: l, and the weighted tag-lever f, essentially asdescribed.

3. The combination, with the winding-lever K of the power-storing deviceused to sound the call, of a free lever, L, for operation by the crankO, substantially as specified.

4. The combination of an escapement, F, with the hand q of the swingingrod m, the stirrup 0, and the weighted tag-lever f, essentially asdescribed.

5. The folding drop-tag 0 d, constructed and arranged for operation inrelation with the speakingtube, substantially as specified.

D. ROUSSEAU. YVitnesses FRED. HAYNES, MICHAEL RYAN.

